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Houston — Jan. 25, 2016 — United Technologies Corp. and its Otis Elevator Co. unit donated two Otis Gen2 elevators, valued at $325,000, for the new Independence Plaza at the nonprofit Space Center Houston, the official visitor center of the NASA Johnson Space Center.
Visitors to the complex can ride these Otis elevators to access a space shuttle flight deck and mid deck, just like the shuttles astronauts used for every space shuttle flight since 1977, as well as the shuttle carrier aircraft.
Otis manufactures and maintains people-moving products, including elevators, escalators, and moving walkways.
The new, multi-exhibit plaza features the high-fidelity replica shuttle, Independence, and the original Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft.
The eight-story complex gives visitors a glimpse into shuttle-era space travel and showcases NASA’s breakthroughs and advances throughout the shuttle program’s 30 years of mission operation. Visitors to Independence Plaza’s exhibits will have the opportunity to view innovative technology and explore career paths in science, technology, engineering, and math.
The Gen2 elevators use Otis’ flat-belt and ReGen regenerative drives, which can significantly reduce energy consumption compared to traditional systems with conventional drives.
The elevators are part of Space Center Houston’s $12 million Bring the Legacy Home capital campaign. United Technologies is a platinum-level sponsor of the exhibit.
In addition to the Otis elevators, the Boeing 747 shuttle carrier aircraft features Pratt & Whitney JT9D engines and hardware components from UTC Aerospace Systems. Pratt & Whitney and UTC Aerospace Systems are business units of United Technologies. The aircraft ferried space shuttles 223 times since the first shuttle flight in 1977.
For more information on Otis, visit www.otis.com.
